Reporting on the Business, Art and Culture of the Active Lifestyle

In May of 2014 I received a private message via Facebook. It was the summer after Expedition Denali and I was in the final stages of writing the book that would become The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors. Stories of the first African-American climbing team to attempt a summit of Denali, the highest peak in North America, had been widely reported in the news. And many of the climbers upon their safe return home had begun a national speaking tour in the hopes inspiring, in...

Few things in the human experience are more profound than the power of storytelling. Dating back to the days of our earliest ancestors members of our tribe gathered around the fire at night to share their experiences of life on Earth. Camped under a blanket of stars primitive men and women recounted their adventures of the hunt or a newly discovered landscape rich with food and shelter to the marvel of their kin eager to hear more exciting tales. The long tradition of fireside storytelling endures to this...

Madison will play a vital role in a national plan to make nature more accessible to children who live in cities. Noted for its long-standing traditions of outdoor recreation and environmental conservation the Wisconsin capital city was named among seven U.S. cities to participate in a long-term initiative to explore ways in which local municipalities, private institutions and nonprofit organizations can create opportunities to better connect kids with the great outdoors.
Selected by the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education & Families and the Children & Nature...

Late last week I received some wonderful news. In recognition for my work reporting on the earliest days of Yosemite National Park I have been named a Yosemite Centennial Ambassador. As the NPS celebrates its 100th anniversary this year I have been included in an amazing group of park supporters whose life-long bodies of work have raised the profile of Yosemite and the other 409 park units around the country. I am incredibly humbled to be among those tasked with sharing their passion for one of the most spectacular...

In the winter of 1993 I purchased three books. One changed my life forever. More than 20 years later just as I returned home from my latest series of talks and lectures based on a book of my own I sat in a coffee shop across the table from the author of the third title who may have most directly influenced my desire to become a writer. At the very least Eddy Harris was for me a role model who helped me to define my place in the...

Few things in life inspire enthusiasm like a bicycle. Even when you reach a certain age that sense of eager anticipation is hard to deny when you start making plans for pedal-powered excursions across town as part of a daily commute or over long distances in search of adventure. So when the folks at BeachBikes offered me the opportunity to try one of their wonderful cruisers I immediately jumped at the chance to take it for a spin.
In the interests of full disclosure they gave me the new...